Madness in Monkstown Sat. 30/09/2006

October, 2006

Madness in Monkstown
It rained, it lashed, it poured, we marched through the downpour.
It seems crazy that in 2006 a Local Authority believes that throwing more roads at the traffic will solve our transport problems.
The amazing thing is that that it's not a road like the new road between the Glenageary Roundabout at Sallynoggin and Church Road in Killiney.
This thing is a monster.
It will bring tens of thousands of cars past people's driveways every day.
It will exceed the noise levels for National roads.
It'll have the same amount of traffic as the Arklow Bypass, but it'll bring them on to what is currently a series of cul-de-sacs.

Well, the inspector said in his report that:"...the proposed road development would represent an inappropriate form of development which would encourage increased car usage and would conflict with national, regional and local policies for the sustainable development of transport."He also stated that:"I am satisfied that the proposed road would be likely to lead to a modal shift away from walking towards short-hop use of cars, on grounds of safety.

This would, in my judgment, be particularly likely in relation to school children, who currently have safe routes to walk to the local schools within a 300m - 500m distance, being driven to school in the future.

This is totally contrary to the emphasis and policy direction of the Platform for Change Strategy (and indeed other Government policies in relation to health and children generally.

"The solution is for Government to provide more buses, and better routes in Dublin, instead of endless wrangling between Government partners; improve DART frequency; and extend the Luas to Bray, as well as providing Safe Routes to School at a local level.

After spending days at the Oral Hearing held by An Bord Pleanála in the Gresham Hotel last spring I was delighted with the Inspector's Report but bitterly disappointed that the Board itself over-ruled his decision.

Matters will come to a head on Monday week 09nd October in the Council Chamber of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, and it could turn nasty.

The Green Party councillors led by ward councillor Nessa Childers will be voting not to proceed with the works under section 139 of the Local Government Act, and it's up to the other groups on the Council to decide what to do.

There's a lot of lobbying going on, as there'll clearly be winners and losers in all this.

I've been receiving lots of texts and emails, and I do my best to win them over to my way of seeing things.
Text lobbying seems to have emerged over the last few months. It's invasive, but effective.

I just don't see the logic in spending €20 million plus on saving 30 seconds on a journey and reducing congestion by 1%, but as I said in my own evidence at the Inquiry even those figures are suspect.

If more kids are going to be driven to school, it simply doesn't make sense.

Well done to Sean Mulvihill (shaking hands with Nessa and myself in the pic) and Barry Troy of the Rowenbyrn and District Residents Association for the time and effort that they've put into all of this.

We'll see how it all pans out in the Council chamber on Monday week.

Pictures Of the A-MRR March Sat.30/09/2006

Ciaran Cuffe's Information on the Monkstown Ring Road

http://www.ciarancuffe.com/DunLaoghaire/BlackrockWard/Monkstown.htm

Information on the Monkstown Ring Road

27 June 2006 Monkstown Ring Road Decision by An Bord Pleanála

Dear Residents, An Bord Pleanála has approved the proposed Monkstown Ring Road with 13 conditions.
Most of these conditions ensure that the Council builds higher boundary walls adjacent to the road as well as some pedestrian facilities.

While these conditions do represent an improvement on Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council’s original plan I still believe this road project is a poorly planned piece of infrastructure.Having spent considerable time at the Oral Hearing arguing against the road I am disappointed at this outcome.

The Green Party felt that this road was inappropriate and would attract more traffic onto residential streets. We will continue to oppose the plan and press the Council to provide more support for improved bus, DART and Luas links as well as pedestrian and cycling facilities.

I believe that the new road will result in large volumes of commuter transport passing through quiet residential areas.
I also believed the destruction of the cottages on Yankee Terrace could have been avoided.My Green Party colleagues on the Council will now seek to have the road removed from the County Development Plan, but it is unlikely that we will receive support from the other political parties on the Council.
Some of you may also wish to seek a judicial review of the decision, but again I feel that this is unlikely to succeed.
I have attached a link to the Bord’s decision and the Inspector's Report, and my own submission to the hearing may be viewed below.

Link to An Bord Pleanála Website:

http://www.pleanala.ie/monk.html

I ask that the application from Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council for approval for the Monkstown Ring Road be rejected by the Board.It should be rejected for two reasons.
Firstly the Environmental Impact Statement is gravely deficient in its content.
Secondly, and more significantly it is a poor transport proposal.
The alternative of a do-nothing or a do-minimum should be considered. This could include enhanced public transport provision and traffic management and/or pedestrian and cycling linkages through the area.
Deficiencies Mr. Inspector the EIS is inadequate in content; it conceals the views of the County Architect that Yankee Terrace should be retained; it naively assumes that new roads are good for business.
It fails to take into account the tendency of new roads to create traffic and it under-estimates their tendency to attract traffic.InformationInsufficient information has not been made available in a timely manner for third parties to assess the proposal.

I understood that the ‘Monkstown Ring Road Environmental Impact Statement dated July 2005, with page number up to 101 and which included fold-out figures was the Local Authority’s application to the Board for approval.
I am happy for the Applicant to expand that information with the statements from a dozen witnesses to date. However I am concerned at the reference to additional folders of information that have been placed at the rear of this room, which I have not had the chance to study, and which have not been copied and circulated to those who have made observations.
I also note that an additional Report from the County Architect was submitted on day three of the hearing.
The mapping information made it difficult to differentiate buildings from open space, and the traffic model mapping was difficult to follow.
In addition it appears that different cordons were used for traffic modelling, building assessment, and the investigation of flora and fauna habitats.Amenities / ConservationI am concerned that three days into the hearing we were given a report by the County Architect Mr. Derek Jago that recommends that the sixteen buildings due for demolition should be retained. This is an extraordinary admission by one of the most senior officials in the County Management team.

During the Vietnam War the journalist Peter Arnett quoted an unnamed American General as stating: "We had to destroy the village in order to save it."Similar sentiments seem to be behind the proposal that we demolish sixteen homes and somehow rejuvenate Newtown Park Village.

The proposed road would lead to a significant loss of amenity for those living adjacent to the proposed route.

The plan proposes the acquisition and demolition of sixteen homes. It will bring high volumes of traffic onto Fleurville and Brookville Park. There will be a reduction of open space at Fleurville.

Up to eighty trees will be felled.
It will be very difficult for residents to cross the new road.I am concerned at the loss of built heritage, and particularly the loss of sixteen homes if the scheme proceeds.
Housing is in high demand in the County, and this is a significant loss.
I don’t believe that due consideration has been given to the worth of these buildings.
The Planning Act 2000 states:For the purpose of protecting structures, or parts of structures, which form part of the architectural heritage and which are of special architectural, historical, archaeological, artistic, cultural, scientific, social or technical interest, every development plan shall include a record of protected structures, and shall include in that record every structure which is, in the opinion of the planning authority, of such interest within its functional area.
Planning and Development Act 2000 Section 51.— (1)I would expect an E.I.S. to at least examine the existing buildings under these headings yet I do not believe that this has occurred.

I also don’t believe that sufficient attention has been given to the intrinsic worth of these homes within the main EIS document.
The loss of all of these buildings amounts to more then their individual value.
It is the dramatic reduction in the quality of the built environment in the heart of the village.

Eugene Regan (FG) - MRR story from Nov. 2005

Monkstown Ring Road Eugene Regan (FG)

http://www.finegael.ie/fine-gael-news.cfm/NewsID/28603/action/detail/year/2006/month/7/level/page/aid/186/

Thursday, 10 November 2005

“The Monkstown Ring Road will not involve any interference with Monkstown Avenue or other roads in the Monkstown Area despite recent claims.”
This was stated by Local Councillor Eugene Regan (FG), who raised the matter at a recent meeting in the Council.


Mr. Regan stated that “there have been widely inaccurate claims about the impact of the Monkstown Ring Road in the Monkstown area which need to be refuted.


Suggestions have been made that the Monkstown Ring Road would involve the cutting down of trees, the demolition of houses and the widening of the road at Monkstown Avenue.
These suggestions are unfounded,” Mr. Regan added.


Mr. Regan pointed out that “with a view to securing written confirmation of the position I put down some very specific questions to the County Manager on this matter at the last meeting of the Dun Laoghaire Area Committee of the Council.


In reply to these questions the Manager has confirmed that while there is an expected increase in traffic volume (16%), there is no impact on the structure of Monkstown Avenue and no intention on the part of the Council to widen the road, to cut down any tress or knock down any houses”.


Mr. Regan stated that the Manager confirmed that “the only work envisaged directly affecting Monkstown Avenue in the future, is the Development Plan objective of providing a cycleway on it. The cycleway is not proposed as part of the Monkstown Ring Road but has been included as a possible scheme in the 2006 Budget Estimates, ” Mr. Regan added.


Mr. Regan pointed out that “the Monkstown Ring Road was designed in 1972 to link Stillorgan and Dun Laoghaire via Stillorgan Park, cutting across Carysfort Avenue and Newtown Park Avenue, to a new roundabout at Deansgrange Road.


The extent of the proposed Monkstown Ring Road Scheme finishes on the Link Road close to the junction with Deansgrange Road.


No works east of this point are proposed under this project.
Accordingly the Ring Road does not involve any works on Monkstown Avenue, Mr. Regan added.

Red ribbons have been tied around all the trees that will be destroyed

As part of the campaign to stop the proposed Monkstown Ring Road from running directly past your front door, red ribbons have been tied around all the trees that will be destroyed if it goes ahead.

We welcome you to help us (if you haven't already) in our effort to preserve the quality of life in our area for ourselves, our children, grandchildren, and the generations to come!

It is contended that no clear public need for the proposed road has been demonstrated

Senior Planning Inspector wrote:

It is contended that no clear public need for the proposed road has been demonstrated by the Council, to justify its construction and the compulsory acquisition of the properties.

The traffic figures submitted in the EIS show a minimal reduction (1%) in congestion, and time savings on the journey between Dun Laoghaire and Stillorgan of only 30 seconds.

The proposal would not confer any clear public benefit, but would involve significant disruption, dislocation of families, community severance and severe environmental impacts.

It is submitted that there is no need for the proposed road scheme indicated in the submitted EIS. The current road network linking Stillorgan to Dun Laoghaire is satisfactory and there is no need for additional road capacity of this type in the area.

It is submitted that no clear and justifiable need for the proposed scheme has been put forward by the Council.

The proposal has been around since the 1970’s, which was a period of now discredited road planning.
Policy in relation to the provision of additional road capacity has changed in the interim, but the proposal is still being put forward, simply because it remains an objective of the roads authority.

Senior Planning Inspector wrote:

It is submitted that the proposed ring road is a 30 year old proposal, which is out of date and has not taken into account changes since then, including the construction of the M50, and the DTO policies for model split, favouring public transport, including QBC’s.

It is noted that the EIS refers to the need to provide access to link the shopping centres of Stillorgan and Dun Laoghaire, but it is submitted that in reality each shopping centre serves its own catchment, and has mostly the same shopping offer.

There is no need to provide further vehicular links between these shopping centres.
No evidence has been put forward by the Council that such linkages would provide any benefit to the shopping centres – it is merely asserted to be the case.

The road is put forward on the basis that it will provide access to Dun Laoghaire Port. However, there is an existing port access route, using the N31, and it would be inappropriate and dangerous to bring large numbers of Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGV’s) through residential areas.

The EIS refers to the need for the road on the basis that it will connect the west of the county with Dun Laoghaire. However, it is submitted that this connection is now in place with the completion of the M50, and its junction with the N11 at Wyattville.
The need for a connection through existing housing estates, as originally envisaged in the 1970’s, when the proposed Monkstown Ring Road was originally planned, is not longer necessary.

Interesting what Barry Andrews said regarding MRR in 2004

Interesting what Barry Andrews said in 2004

News Focus: IssuesDeansgrange Local Area Plan 10.12.2004

The following is the submission made by Deputy Andrews regarding the future of Deansgrange.

Submission Re Deansgrange Local Area PlanCouncillors and local residents requested this Plan on the basis that development in the area was placing an intolerable burden on the local road network.
As such, the plan should focus on ways to alleviate this problem.

1. Residential Development. The future of the grounds of the National Rehabilitation Hospital should be a consideration in this plan. This is an opportunity to consider the future of this site. There is already provision for Traveller Accommodation at the site and there are suggestions that there might be a Garda Station at the site.I would strongly recommend that this LAP considers the future of Deansgrange in the context of any proposals that may be in existence at this time for that area, especially considering its zoning.I would also recommend that in-fill development be encouraged in most cases, subject to the requirements of planning and sustainability.

2. Traffic Management. The purpose of the plan was to ensure better management of the crossroads in the context of future development in the area.As an example, the work on the roundabout at Glenageary has left the area dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians and seems to be entirely car-focussed.

The impact of a possible future Monkstown Ring Road (a six year road objective) should be considered in terms of relief of the Deansgrange Road traffic – it would be my view that the Ring Road may even add further traffic to the area.
Many people that would have accessed the Clonkeen (to the south of Deansgrange) area from the N11 via Kill Lane or the Cabinteely cross-roads may come down Stillorgan Park instead thus adding traffic volumes to the Deasngrange Cross Roads.Only larger developments are required to produce traffic management studies.

It might be appropriate to insist on smaller developments providing such reports given the sensitive nature of the area.3. Industrial development.

There is a clear reference to retaining Yankee Terrace in the MRR scheme

Here is a snippit from refusal of planning permission in Annaville Avenue
There is a clear reference to retaining Yankee Terrace in the MRR scheme.
Link below will take you to the full refusal document….

http://www.pleanala.ie/REP/211/R211839.DOC


9.0 PLANNING ASSESSMENT

9.1 This assessment considers:

· The policy context

· The reasons for refusal

· Other issues

· The fallback position (D04A/0549)

The policy context

9.2 In the Plan, Transportation (11) is a central to the policy context.

The Monkstown Ring Road is a “six-year roads objective” (T 23).

While the authority states that no plans have been adopted, the Plan indicates that the proposed design shall seek to retain Yankee Terrace (p168).

A proposed Quality Bus Route passes some 300 metres to the south of the site (T19).

The Green Party strongly opposes MRR

http://www.eamonryan.ie/local.shtm

An Bord Pleanala has approved the proposed Monsktown Ringroad.

The Green Party strongly opposes this decision as we believe that the plan is extremely flawed.

I feel that the road would be inappropriate and would attract large volumes of traffic on to residential roads.

Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council are currently preparing a new local area plan for Stillorgan, and the central objective of this is to reduce the volume of through traffic in the centre of the village.
The building of this road will do nothing but hinder this central objective.

I believe that the County Council should consider the negative comments from the An Bord Pleanal Inspector, who said that the road was an inappropriate form of development, which would have adverse effect on the environment and people and would not offer any significant benefit to the community.

In this regard Green Party councillors are seeking to have the road removed from the County Development Plan.

Local Government will question the board over the overriding of the inspectors’ report

http://www.irishtrucker.com/news/news_detail.asp?nid=205

TDs not happy with ring-road approval Growing local opposition to the Monkstown ring-road in Dublin has prompted a Dail committee to invite An Bord Pleanala to meet with them.

The Dail Committee on Environment and Local Government will question the board over the overriding of the inspectors’ report on the controversial road.

The 15 million euros road, connecting the Stillorgan Park/Carysfort Avenue junction with Deansgrange Road via Newtown Park, will require the demolition of Yankee Terrace, a row of 11 late 19th century cottages, and five properties on Newtownpark Avenue and Annaville Terrace.

In his report, senior inspector Philip Jones recommended that the work by rejected saying he could not find any "convincing or credible evidence" to justify the construction of the road.

Story filed on September 5, 2006

Owen Keegan the opposition has really had an effect.

http://www.archiseek.com/content/showthread.php?t=5253



It's getting close though, the council are meeting in 2 weeks time to vote on this.

The opposition has really had an effect.
The representatives were unaware of the depth and breadth of the opposition to this scheme.

They were under the impression that this was a good scheme, but it has no merits whatsoever, unless you count a 30 second reduction in travel time from Dun Laoghaire to Stillorgan (figure from the EIS would you believe!!!) as worth demolishing 17 homes, felling 40 trees and mutilating an entire suburban block with 30,000 cars.

As with many things, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown have got this one wildly wrong.

The only obstacles to a proper resolution to this are oafish management allied to wilful political neglect... once that's sorted out we'll save Monkstown, Deansgrange and Blackrock from destruction.... not too big a job then eh?"£$"£$%?

An Interesting change of heart by Owen Keegan

http://www.archiseek.com/content/showthread.php?t=5253

Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council intend to go ahead and construct the controversial Monkstown Ring Road after receiving the go ahead in the summer by An Bord Pleanala against the recommendations of the Senior Inspector, Philip Jones.

This road will involve punching a highway through a number of residential streets and necessitates the demolition of Yankee Terrace, a late 19th Century row of cottages.

In the course of the Oral Hearing the Council's engineers disowned their own traffic figures and abandoned their own objective of improving congestion due to objectors exposing them as flawed and without foundation in reality.

Mr. Jones, in his report, described the scheme as follows:
"The proposed Monkstown Ring Road originated in the 1970’s... It is considered that the proposed road development would represent an inappropriate form of development which would encourage increased car usage and would conflict with national, regional and local policies for the sustainable development of transport"
"The proposed road development would not confer significant benefits to the community""The proposed road development would, therefore, be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area
"Thankfully the Members of the Council are to debate a motion at the October meeting to have this ridiculous scheme removed from the Development Plan.

However the County Manager, one Owen Keegan, has stated in his report to the Councillors that he believes the scheme should go ahead and rubbished the advice of the experienced and qualified Inspector, who throughout his thorough report utterly damned every element of this scheme.

Some Councillors may vote according to the managers advice, as would be common practice, and we would be left with vast swathes of suburbia in ruins.

Maybe the manager should read his own statements from his ample back catalogue of soundbites, some of which are laid out below: (sourced from ireland.com archive)

The new Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown county manager Owen Keegan said

"Commuting by car, in Mr. Keegan's words, is a sunset industry."


"it would be one of his aims to achieve a better balance between conservation and development."

"Commuting motorists impose significant costs on everyone else"

"We have given up trying to cater for the private car and if people haven't worked that out yet then there is a serious problem with IQ"

"The argument that private car capacity should be increased was lost a long time ago"

The point of this post is to ask those who care about the proper planning and sustainable development of Dublin, and in particular areas such as Blackrock, Stillorgan, Monkstown and Dun Laoghaire that will be severely adversely affected by this truly horrific scheme, to get in touch with the County councillors and demand that they vote in favour of the Green Party motion to have this removed from the Development Plan. We've come a long way, generally, from the transport planning philosophies of the 1970's which advocated ripping the heart out of towns to cater for motorists. However, out in Dun Laoghaire, between the mountains and the sea, these philosophies still remain.

Owen Keegan former traffic Tsar at Dublin City Council.

Now he is now in your area and he is going to drive a highway through Monkstown, Brookville, Rowanbyrn and Stillorgan.

….more bad road decisions.…more gridlock….more pollution….

No consideration whatsoever for the long standing residents and established communities.

Just slap in a CPO and bulldoze people out of their houses (16 if I am not mistaken).

Fracture established communities and run the old reliable couple of miles of BLACKTOP right thro the heart of your community.

Just what we need more routes to run even more Trucks from Stenaline RORO and more vehicles 30,000 daily on year one (that’s 1 vehicle every 2.8 seconds).

What about the idea of cutting down on traffic and going down the decent public transport route??


Is it time to name and shame all those public officials that vote with Owen Keegans error of judgement for this un-necessary ring road.

No body wants this road not even An Bord Pleanala’s Inspector.

Don’t let the government squander any more of your money.

Now late in 2006 we are fast approaching the cusp of a fresh election process, yet it would appear that no lessons have been learnt over the years regarding public spending, infrastructure projects and much more.

• Some that just roll off the tongue are:
  
  Hospital Beds (the lack of)
  The health service’s (downhill slalom)
  The tribunals (billions wasted)
  The brown envelopes (see above)
  The apparent cash for favours (see above)
  The port tunnel (was built the wrong size)
  The Luas (not meeting in the middle)
  The lack of decent public transport
  The lack of park and ride facilities
  The lack of safe school transport
  The traffic gridlock situation (Thanks Owen Keegan)
  The red cow roundabout
  The toll bridge
  The M50
  The indirect taxation (ever increasing)
  The unfair treatment of our elderly (they built the country)
  The deaths on our roads (ever increasing)
  The lack of Garda (everywhere)
  The closing of rural Garda stations
  The judicial system (unable to let the Garda convict)
  The Yellow Pack Garda (forced upon us)

I could go on and on, but I think you are starting to get the picture and can piece this shambles together yourself.

With all this behind them the people in power are planning yet another huge waste of Tax payer’s money right literally on your very doorstep.
The Monkstown Ring Road (MRR)

Already 300,000 Euro of your money has gone into an oral hearing, not to mention any other consultant’s fees to date.
The findings of this oral hearing were…that the MRR is not necessary, and was a legacy plan for the entire area prior to the conception and eventual building of the M50 and its Wyatville junction.
These findings have been totally ignored by An Bord Pleanala.
By the way An Bord Pleanala are an autonomous body answerable to no one. Not even you the tax payer (how did that ever happen).
An Bord Pleanala should not have this power to run roughshod over the findings.

Just think about all these issues and draw your own conclusion.
The sole purpose of this communiqué is to make you sit up and see what is going on right under your very nose.


Don’t let bulldozers destroy your home and run the couple of miles of Blacktop through your neighbourhood.

Don’t let the government squander any more of your money.

What The Proposed Ring Road Will Add To YOUR Life

***News Flash***
Anti-Monkstown Ring Road (A-MRR)

What The Proposed Ring Road Will Add To YOUR Life

30,000+ Vehicles Per Day (1 Vehicle Every 2.8 Seconds)

Noise - 24/7!

Pollution.

Dirt and litter.

Fumes.

Collisions.

Health Hazards.

Danger for Pedestrians and Cyclists.

Danger for our Children.

Danger to Pets.

Peak Time Traffic Jams.

Long queues to drive out of the estate.

Easier and much faster access and escape routes for Criminals.

SAY NO TO THE RING ROAD!

PEOPLE POWER WORKS!!!

Even In Torrential Rain A Great Success.
Over 400+ concerned residents from Brookville, Rowanbyrn, Fleurville, Monkstown and Stillorgan support the A-MRR Protest

Owen Keegan is circling the wagons

• Owen Keegan was aware of the growing local opposition to DLRCOCO proposed Monkstown Ring Road (MRR).
  
• Owen Keegan took the unprecedented action of removing the DLRCOCO vote for the proposed MRR from September 11th meeting and moving the vote on to October 09th
  
• Owens Keegans sole purpose in doing that was to gain sufficient time to reinforce his case to have the October 09th vote passed.
  
• Owens Keegan is hoping to reinforce his case for DLRCOCO councillors to pass the vote October 09th.
  
• Owens Keegans is to try to convince DLRCOCO councillors of the validity of this road, the positive impact it will have to traffic in the area and how urgent is to do this right now.
  
• Owen Keegan will try in no uncertain terms to rubbish An Bord Pleanala’s Inspector’s decision that the road should not go ahead.
  
• Owen Keegan is unlikely to mention that the true figure for vehicle usage in year 1 will be 30,000 vehicles per day (1 vehicle every 2.8 seconds)
  
• Owen Keegan is unlikely to mention the danger to the children and the community by allowing 30,000 vehicles cut thro the settled suburban estates.
  
• Owen Keegan is unlikely to mention the Air pollution churned out by 30,000 vehicles per day.
  
• Owen Keegan is unlikely to mention the impact to local health by such pollution.
  
  
  Owen Keegan is unlikely to mention that An Bord Pleanala’s Inspector said “ I consider that the EIS was significantly deficient in terms of its analysis of the impacts of the proposed road scheme on human beings….the claimed benefits for the proposed scheme are not proven, while the dis-benefits to the community are evident”.
  
  Owen Keegan is unlikely to mention that An Bord Pleanala’s Inspector said “having considered the entirety of the documentation I am fully satisfied that the proposed scheme would lead to severe and adverse impacts on the residential amenities of the residential communities alongside it”.
  
  Owen Keegan is unlikely to mention that An Bord Pleanala’s Inspector said “I conclude that the examination of alternatives in the EIS was inadequate, and inconsistent with the overall analysis of the impacts of the development as a whole. This of itself is sufficient reason for the Bord to refuse approval of the proposed scheme”.

A-MRR March Saturday September 30 2006 @14h00

Monkstown Residents Plan March To Stop Controversial €15m Ring Road.

Residents of Monkstown, Brookville, Rowanbyrn, Fleurville and Stillorgan in south Dublin are to stage a protest march Saturday 30th September and lobby councillors in a campaign to get the proposed €15 million Monkstown Ring Road scrapped.

The road, which has been pro­posed since the 1970s, was earlier this year approved by An Bord Pleanala and is designed to carry up to 30,000 Vehicles a day (1 vehicle every 2.8 seconds).
It would link Stillorgan Park with the Stradbrook area of Blackrock.

At 30,000 vehicles a day, (1 vehicle every 2.8 seconds) the traffic volumes would be higher than levels on the Dublin to Sligo road at the toll motorway.

It will require the demolition of Yankee Terrace, a row of eleven 19th-centurv cottages, and five properties on Newtownpark Avenue and Annaville Terrace.Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council said the road would cater for the transporta­tion requirements of the county, promote and strengthen Dun Laoghaire and Stillorgan, attract traffic from less suitable roads and make Newtown Park village (which is a figment of some urban planners colourful imagination) more accessible.

Locals along the route claim the bypass is being put in place to facilitate large-scale redevelopment at Stillorgan Shopping Centre, the Stillorgan Bowl and the Blakes site, via Stil­lorgan Park with other large-scale Hi-density Hi-rise developments by Cosgrave’s at Dun Laoghaire Golf Club.

They also claim the bypass would become another access route between Dun Laoghaire Port and the N11 for Stenaline RORO traffic to the M50

Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown county manager Owen Keegan has scheduled Monday October 11th for a council debate on the bypass, at which he will seek approval to start construction.
Opponents have written to all members of the council urging them not to support the plan.

They are also planning a protest march for Saturday next 30th September, at Brookville Park & Rowanbyrn Junction, to march the entire route of the proposed road.

A spokesman for opponents of the scheme, Sean Mulvihill, said he hoped to see 250 to 300 people on Saturday's protest march to send a message to councillors.